Features

Meet some of the people of MEDEX Northwest – students and faculty, founders and visionaries – who have helped to forge the forward path for PAs and affect change in world of progressive and responsible healthcare delivery.

MEDEX And The PANCE Exam: Seeing Results

In six years, MEDEX saw its students’ first-time pass rate for the national licensure exam go up from 79% to 93%. This took nothing less than a complete overhaul of the didactic and clinical curriculum to better fit how the profession defines competency. Over this period, MEDEX faculty and a [...]

MEDEX Spokane Site Moves to Gonzaga with UW Medicine

After twenty years in Spokane, the MEDEX Spokane site has relocated to Gonzaga University as part of the University of Washington/Gonzaga University Regional Health Partnership. For the first time, Spokane PA students are housed in the same building with UW Medical Students. Spokane Class 20 launches with its own dedicated [...]

Influential PA Kaye Kvam Remembered

Over a career span of 36 years, Kaye Kvam occupied multiple roles as a physician assistant: clinician, teacher, mentor, politician, preceptor and advocate for PAs. From 1991 to 1997 she taught at MEDEX Northwest, delivering the didactic curriculum with humor and love. At this time of Kaye’s passing, we celebrate [...]

New MEDEX Graduates Celebrate End of Studies

Each year MEDEX Northwest educates over 100 physician assistants across four sites, and 2016 added new alumni to the ranks of over 2,200 prior graduates. With four graduation ceremonies taking place over two weeks, a summary review of the highlights reminds us what it takes to become a PA.

MEDEX Welcomes Incoming 2016 PA Students

Since the program’s founding by Dr. Richard Smith in 1967, MEDEX Northwest students have been known for their concerns about social justice. Day 1 for the 2016 incoming class is a strong brew wherein leadership lays out the path forward for the next two years. The students—all 133 of them—have [...]

MEDEX/UW Hands-Off DHAT Program to Alaska Tribal College

Dental Health Aides serve much the same role in dentistry as physician assistants in medicine. For twelve years MEDEX Northwest provided a pathway to a UW certificate for the Native Alaskan students of the DENTEX DHAT program. Now, by mutual agreement with ANTHC, MEDEX hands over this responsibility to Alaska’s [...]

MEDEX PA Provider To USA Diving Team

With a strong background as a certified athletic trainer, Jennifer Carrol taught sports medicine before becoming a physician assistant. While teaching part-time at MEDEX Northwest, Jen remains firmly rooted in sports medicine at UW. Recently, her unique skills set afforded her the opportunity to serve as medical staff for the [...]

Building Trust Between The Homeless & The Medical Community

For three years the MEDEX Northwest Tacoma site has partnered with Urban Grace Church to offer a free monthly foot clinic to the underserved and homeless in the downtown Tacoma community. For some clients this is their only connection with medical providers—a chance to have their feet cared for by [...]

Affecting Change In Just The Right Places

After 29 years as program director of MEDEX Northwest, Ruth Ballweg stepped down from that role in 2015 and retired from the University of Washington in March of 2016. She is now Professor Emeritus in the Department of Family Medicine. Over the course of three decades, Ruth has had an [...]

Physician Assistants Taking the Lead in Global Health & Education

At the start of their clinical year four MEDEX physician assistant students participated in a global health pilot project and traveled to the Southeast nation of Laos. There, under the sponsorship of the NGO Health Leadership International, they assisted in training their Laotian counterparts, PA students at the College of [...]